Brandy snaps are the sort of thing you read about in novels that you pick up on a rainy (snowy) day for comfort when everything seems bleak. I’ve never known exactly what they are, though, but I was given for Christmas a recipe book full of vintage-y recipes, and the picture made them look effortlessly impressive, which is always what I go for in a recipe. Needless to say, they weren’t effortless, mainly due to my incurable habit of starting new things approximately half an hour before I’m supposed to be going out, and recklessly promising myself to walk everywhere. But they are impressive, and delicious.

Melt the syrup, sugar, ginger and butter together until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the flour and lemon juice. The mixture is amazingly sticky. Then put about 5 teaspoons at a time onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes at 200 degrees – be careful not to burn them, because they burn easily. When you get them out, leave them for a minute or two on the sheet to cool and solidify, then, with a palette knife, lift them off and curl them around the handle of a wooden spoon. They are really easy to bend in this state, but harden quickly, so small batches is best. Then whip the cream and pipe into the middle of the snaps. Be warned, these don’t last long before they get soft, a day at the most, so eat quickly. Not that you need telling to do that, obviously.